They say the way you start the year often sets the tone for what’s to come. And this seems to be true; ask the New York Yankees. They had an embarrassing off-season, losing Juan Soto to the cross-town rivals. And not because of a bigger contract, but because Soto thought the Mets had a better shot at winning. And the Yankees look like they are proving Soto right by the way they are playing. The Boston Red Sox smashing the Yanks at their home stadium is proof. A straight eight-game loss to their archrivals was not in the fans’ cards!

The saving grace was the last win against Boston, because the last thing the Bronx wanted was a sweep. And now they piled on against the Nationals with a 10-5 victory. Ben Rice launched the longest homer of his career, and then Cody Bellinger knocked in three RBIs. Jazz Chisholm Jr. managed a career high of 25 home runs. Cam Schlitter, with his six scoreless innings, was on fire, too.

And it was fun. But fans and insiders are warning, “Don’t buy into the illusion.” Wins over small-market teams don’t mean much when the real gauntlet lies ahead.

Joez Mcfly, in his podcast on YouTube, said five words that said everything: “Don’t let them bait you.” For him, winning over the small-market teams doesn’t mean much when the real gauntlet lies ahead. And can you blame him? The Bronx Bombers have lived off false hope all season. But the real test, as Joez pointed out, will be on September 2, when the Yankees will face the playoff-caliber teams in 12 straight games.

Everyone from the Astros, Blue Jays, Tigers, and yes, the Boston Red Sox again. For Joez, only if the New York Yankees go 8-4 in that stretch and win every series will fans get the trust back in them. Anything less, and they will be singing that same song. For now, the front office is under major scrutiny, and it’s not surprising, because Aaron Boone has just spewed disaster. From not making players accountable and saving players’ faces to most importantly—not doing his job properly—the fan base is losing patience.

Ken Rosenthal, in fact, didn’t mince words, saying if the Yanks flame out early this season, then Boone and maybe even Brian Cashman’s job will be on the line. And given that the Bronx has been hungry for a championship since 2009—and yet is empty-handed—the wait has been rather long. Aaron Boone has been here for eight years, and sure, he missed taking the Yanks to only one playoff—he has no rings to show. For now, it’s just deception, and the biggest subject of which is no one else but Anthony Volpe.

Volpe’s struggles exposed by the New York Yankees coach

One of the biggest deceptions that most Yankee fans would agree on is the idea that Anthony Volpe is the next big thing. The next Derek Jeter, the franchise-changing shortstop, they said. And look at him now? If there is a game gone wrong, people automatically go—What did Volpe do? But time and again, Aaron Boone has come out to protect Volpe, and it has become a running joke now. But there is someone giving a little more honesty, if anything.

Yankees hitting coach James Rowson addressed the shortstop’s struggles. He mentioned, “There’s nothing inconsistent about the way he works.” Now, when a young player struggles, most coaches pin it on laziness or poor habits. But for Volpe, that’s not the case, and he is grinding and putting in those hours. The problem is not effort, but the results. Now in his third big league season, Volpe still hasn’t found his identity at the plate. He seems to be bouncing between trying to be a power hitter and then also focusing on simple contact.

This leads to promise and frustration at the same time. Now Rowson said that there is progress, even if it is not showing as consistently as the fans would have wanted to see. He mentioned that the real issue is Volpe sustaining the upward growth for 60 or 90 days. And this is the thing—Yankee fans don’t want flashes of good play. Not for Chisholm Jr. or with Volpe. They want consistency, and they want the team to be able to face the bigger teams and not come out looking like wrecks.